Abate Villa, a few days passed, and the other members who joined the Sicilian expedition have returned. Upon their return, all of them had dark faces after learning that half of them had been wiped out and their Don had been assassinated.
As they gathered in the villa, the weight of their losses was palpable. Jose, the trusted consigliere, stood before them, ready to address the group. He knew the importance of his words in this moment of crisis.
“Brothers,” Jose began, “I know these past weeks have been hard. We’ve lost many, including Anton, our Under Boss, and our Don. But I need you to understand what truly happened.”
The room fell silent, all eyes on Jose. He had always been a voice of reason and strategy, and they trusted him implicitly.
“The Sicilian Familia set us up,” Jose continued. “They divided us with a trap, leading to the annihilation of our first group. Anton was caught in that trap, and the Don… he was killed at the villa because they knew he was alone.”
A murmur of disbelief spread through the room. Marco, one of the men, shook his head. “The Sicilians? I can’t believe they would do such a thing. We’ve had dealings with them for years.”
Jose met Marco’s eyes, his expression firm. “I understand your disbelief, Marco. But think about it. Half of our assets are already in the hands of the Sicilians. They saw an opportunity to seize everything, to bleed us dry until there’s nothing left. Remember how they wiped out the Genovese twenty years ago? They’ve always been snakes, sparing no one.”
Carlo, another member, hesitated. “But why now? Why would they risk everything to attack us?”
Jose leaned forward, his voice steady. “Because they knew we were vulnerable, divided. They saw a chance to eliminate us as rivals completely and take control of everything we have.”
Then, a voice from the back asked, “Consigliere, where were you when the Don was killed?”
Jose anticipated this question and was prepared. “I was on a business trip, as ordered by the Don himself. He wanted me to secure an alliance that would have strengthened us. Here,” he said, pulling out documents and travel records, “are the details of my trip. I made sure to document everything, knowing how crucial it was.”
The men examined the evidence, nodding in agreement. The documents were thorough and left no room for doubt. Jose’s presence on the trip was legitimate and necessary.
The room was silent as the men absorbed Jose’s words. Slowly, the disbelief began to fade, replaced by a simmering anger.
Marco nodded, his earlier skepticism replaced by a grim understanding. “You’re right, Consigliere. It makes sense. The Sicilians have always been snakes.”
Jose nodded, acknowledging their shift in perspective. “I know you’re angry. I am too. But we must be smart about our next steps. We can’t let our anger cloud our judgment.”
The men nodded, their respect for Jose evident. He had always been the strategist, the one who could see the bigger picture.
Then, unexpectedly, one of the men spoke up. “We need strong leadership now more than ever. I think Consigliere Jose should be our new Don.”
A ripple of agreement spread through the room. Carlo nodded. “I agree. Consigliere Jose has always been the strategist, the one who sees the bigger picture.”
Another voice chimed in. “He’s earned our trust. He knows how to lead us through this.”
One by one, the men voiced their support until the room was filled with unanimous agreement. “Jose for Don!”
Jose looked around at his brothers, feeling the weight of their trust and expectations. He nodded, accepting the responsibility. “Thank you, my brothers. Together, we will rebuild and ensure the Sicilian’s regret ever crossing the Abate Familia.”
After electing Jose as their Don, Marco asked, “What do we do now, Don Jose?” his voice calmer but still edged with anger.
“We gather information,” Jose replied. “We need to know everything about the Sicilian Familia’s movements. Their strengths, their weaknesses. And when the time is right, we will strike back.”
Carlo leaned forward, his eyes burning with determination. “We’ll make them pay for what they’ve done. Every last one of them.”
Then, Jose asked, “Tell me, what was the expedition about? What were the Sicilians after?”
Marco replied, “The Sicilians wanted to expand their power beyond Rome. They tried to ally with the Lombardi Familia in Milan, but they failed. Then they approached the Russo Familia in Naples and the Conti Familia in Florence, but both attempts were unsuccessful.”
Jose grinned, shaking his head. “The Sicilian’s are truly greedy. It’s a good thing they didn’t form an alliance with the Sicilian’s.” Then, he added, “Brothers, do not worry. In case you are unaware of the news, Vlad is now the new Don of the Mercado Family. Due to the setup orchestrated by the Sicilian Family to pit the two families against each other, Vlad also seeks revenge after discovering this scheme of the Sicilian. For now, let us take a step back, my brothers, and wait. I will talk to Vlad about forming an alliance.”
Carlo agreed, “Don Jose, I believe it would be better for us to join forces with the Mercado, especially since there are only a few of us left. We need the help of the Mercado Family, especially since we have both fallen into the trap of the Sicilian Family.”
“I have thought about this. For now, rest, you all. We need to be alert in the coming days; we do not know when the enemy will knock on our door!” said Jose as he dismissed them with a wave.
The members immediately agreed before leaving respectfully. They trusted Jose’s plans as he was their former adviser and strategist of the Family, so they had great faith in Jose’s abilities.
After the members left, Jose turned and walked towards the window, gazing outside. A look of successful smile appeared on his face as everything went smoothly according to his plan. “Now, everything is ready here… I will just wait for the people whom Boss Lucas will send,” he murmured.
…..
…
At the Mercado Familia’s gathering, much like the Abate Familia, Vladimir explained that the Sicilian Familia had set them up. Now, the members of the Mercado Familia were like wolves thirsting for revenge.
Vlad addressed his men, “We will form a new alliance. The people who helped us are from the leader of this new alliance. The Abate Familia is part of this alliance because we share the same goal and desire for revenge against the Sicilians. Our main goal is to bring down the Sicilian’s.”
The members nodded in agreement with the alliance with the Abate Familia, but there was still some doubt about the leader of the new alliance. One of the men voiced his concern, “Who is this leader? Can we trust him?”
Vlad remained calm and resolute. “His name is Lucas. He has an extraordinary foresight. It was Lucas who sent help to us when we needed it most. If you doubt his abilities, know that Lucas is sending someone to train us. You will have the chance to engage in hand-to-hand combat with this person. If you can defeat them, then we can discuss the details further.”
A man stood up, one of the Mercado Familia’s best fighters in hand-to-hand combat. “I want to challenge the person Lucas sends. If I lose, we’ll agree to the alliance.”
Vlad smiled, “In that case, prepare yourself, because that person will also come today.” He glanced at his watch before saying, “He is here.”
As he spoke, the gate of the villa swung open, and a robust man in a tank top entered, carrying a large bag slung over his shoulder. He entered calmly, filling the air around him with a distinguished aura.